Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: HWIS
Program Code: HWIS000002
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00:35 Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:39 Our loving heavenly Father, we thank You for the Sabbath 00:44 where we can just get away from the rat race of life; 00:48 what we do every day of the week, 00:50 and just bask in Your presence an enjoy fellowship with You 00:55 and with fellow believers. 00:58 We ask, Father, that as we open Your Holy Word this morning 01:01 that Your Holy Spirit, through the ministration of the angels, 01:03 will be present here. 01:06 Help us to understand Your Word, the great things from Your Word, 01:10 and how they impact our own personal lives; 01:13 our walk with Jesus. 01:15 We thank You, Father, for the promise of Your presence. 01:19 Because we ask this in the powerful and wonderful 01:23 name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. 01:27 Amen. 01:30 I'd like to invite you to open your Bibles with me to the 01:32 book of Exodus. 01:34 Exodus chapter 36 and verse 8. 01:39 As we examine the Hebrew sanctuary, one thing sticks out, 01:46 I might say, as a sore thumb. 01:48 And that is the predominance of angels in the Hebrew sanctuary. 01:55 They seem to be all over the place. 01:58 Now in Exodus 36 and verse 8, we have a description of 02:03 angels that were embroidered on the different veils 02:08 that were found in the Hebrew sanctuary. 02:11 It says there in Exodus 36 verse 8... 02:38 Of course, the cherubim are angels. 02:42 So there were angels embroidered on the different veils of the 02:46 Hebrew sanctuary. 02:48 Now the Bible also tells us that on the veil between the 02:53 Holy and the Most Holy Place of the Hebrew sanctuary 02:56 there were cherubim embroidered as well. 03:00 Notice Exodus chapter 36 and verse 35. 03:04 Exodus 36 and verse 35. 03:08 This is talking about the veil that divided the Holy Place 03:11 from the Most Holy Place. 03:13 Of course, we talked about the Holy Place last evening 03:16 where we find the seven branch candlestick, 03:18 we find the table of showbread, 03:20 and we find the golden altar of incense. 03:23 And then of course, beyond the veil is the ark of the covenant. 03:27 It says there in Exodus 36 and verse 35... 03:47 Notice once again the idea that there were cherubim 03:50 that were embroidered on this beautiful veil 03:53 between the Holy and the Most Holy Place. 03:57 But there were two special angels in the sanctuary. 04:01 Actually, in Solomon's temple there were four. 04:03 There were two on the ark of the covenant 04:06 and there were two that were standing. 04:07 In other words, four of them surrounded the ark 04:10 which represents the throne of God. 04:13 Let's read in Exodus chapter 25 and verses 20 through 22 04:18 about these two special cherubim that overshadowed 04:22 the ark of the covenant. 04:24 It says there in Exodus 25 and verse 20, 04:29 these are instructions given to Moses... 04:42 The mercy seat was the cover of the ark of the covenant. 04:45 Verse 19... 05:09 "Covering" is a key word. 05:14 The mercy seat represents God's throne. 05:29 The mercy seat is where the Shekinah came over. 05:58 And so there were these special cherubim in the tabernacle 06:02 in the wilderness, two of them on the ark of the covenant 06:05 that overshadowed or covered the mercy seat, 06:09 which represents the throne of God. 06:12 And in Solomon's temple, of course, we had two additional 06:14 cherubim that were standing. 06:16 Which means that God's throne was surrounded by four. 06:21 This is the reason why in Psalm 80 and verse 1 06:25 we find the description of where God sits, or where God dwells. 06:30 It says there in Psalm 80 and verse 1... 06:47 Where does God dwell? 06:48 Where was His glory manifested? 06:50 Between the cherubim. 06:52 In other words, there were two covering cherubs 06:55 that overshadowed the mercy seat where the glory of God 06:59 was manifested in the sanctuary. 07:02 Now inside the ark of the covenant were found 07:06 the tables of the law with the Ten Commandments. 07:10 And the reason why these cherubim, according to 07:13 Scripture, were looking down towards the mercy seat is, 07:17 they were looking down in wonder at the law of God, 07:21 which is the foundation of God's government. 07:24 In fact, let's read Deuteronomy chapter 10 07:27 and verses 1 through 5 where we find the description 07:30 of the Ten Commandments that were placed inside 07:33 the ark of the covenant. 07:34 Deuteronomy chapter 10 and verse 1. 07:38 It says there... 07:48 Now the reason why it says, "like the first," is because 07:51 the first tables of stone that had the Ten Commandments 07:53 were thrown to the ground and broken into smithereens 07:57 when Israel was worshiping the golden calf. 08:00 So God tells Moses, "Get two more slabs of stone, 08:04 and I'm going to write the Ten Commandments 08:05 on those as well." 08:07 So it says... 08:46 And now notice verse 4. 08:48 The only thing that God ever wrote in Scripture 08:51 with His own finger. 09:28 So notice that we find inside the ark of the covenant 09:31 the tables with the Ten Commandments. 09:34 And two cherubim in the tabernacle in the wilderness, 09:38 two additional ones standing, that are looking down 09:42 at the mercy seat, looking down at the law in reverence 09:46 for the constitution of God's government. 09:48 Now in Solomon's temple, we also find a predominance of angels. 09:54 Everywhere in the temple of Solomon, you find angels. 09:59 Notice 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and verse 7. 10:03 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and verse 7. 10:05 There were angels carved into the walls. 10:08 Because Solomon's temple is a solid structure. 10:11 It's not made with curtains. 10:12 It's actually made with solid materials. 10:15 And so it says in 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and verse 7... 10:34 In other words, on all of the walls of the Hebrew sanctuary 10:37 you find angels there carved onto the walls. 10:41 Angels are very important, obviously, in the way that God 10:45 administrates the universe. 10:47 We find angels also on the veil that divided the Holy from the 10:51 Most Holy in the temple that was built by Solomon. 10:54 Notice 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and verse 14. 10:58 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and verse 14. 11:01 It says there... 11:15 Also in Solomon's temple... 11:17 Which by the way is a misnomer because it's the temple 11:20 that was built by Solomon. 11:22 ...we find these cherubim that covered the ark of the covenant. 11:27 Notice 2 Chronicles chapter 5 and verses 7 and 8. 11:32 2 Chronicles chapter 5 verses 7 and 8. 11:35 We're now noticing the temple that was built by Solomon. 11:38 It has the same principle; angels everywhere. 11:41 Angels carved on the walls. 11:42 Angels on this veil between the Holy and Most Holy Place. 11:47 And we're going to notice now that they were the 11:49 covering cherubs as well. 11:51 It says there in 2 Chronicles chapter 5 and verse 7... 12:00 This is after the temple is built. 12:24 So notice the idea that these cherubim actually overshadow 12:30 or they cover the ark of the covenant as they're looking down 12:34 in reverence towards God's law. 12:37 But there were not only cherubim in the sanctuary. 12:40 There were also six-winged creatures, angels, 12:44 known as seraphim. 12:46 Notice Isaiah chapter 6 and verses 1 and 2. 12:50 There were lots of angels in the sanctuary. 12:53 Notice Isaiah chapter 6 and verses 1 and 2, 12:57 which is another order of angel besides the cherubim 13:01 who had four wings. 13:02 Now we find seraphim who have six wings. 13:05 It says there in verse 1... 13:30 He covered his face in reverence for God. 13:34 Covering his feet is also a sign of reverence to God. 13:40 And by the way, if you want to know how powerful are the 13:43 voices of these seraphim, if you continue reading there 13:46 in Isaiah chapter 6, it tells us that when the seraphim sang, 13:50 "Holy, holy, holy," the temple literally shook. 13:56 In other words, these are powerful angels who have 13:59 powerful vocal chords. 14:03 Now we must ask the question. 14:05 Who are angels? 14:10 You know, there's a common theory today, running even in 14:13 the Christian world, and that is that angels are spirits of the 14:18 departed that come back to help those who are still 14:21 walking on planet earth. 14:24 Perhaps this was popularized by a program on television 14:27 many years ago that was called, Highway to Heaven, 14:30 with Michael Landon. 14:31 I see many of you saying, "Yeah, we remember that." 14:34 You know, supposedly he died and then he came back 14:38 to this earth to help people on earth. 14:41 And he came back as an angel. 14:43 The fact is that the Bible does not sustain such an idea. 14:47 The angels are a separate order of being that existed 14:51 before human beings existed. 14:53 Go with me to Job chapter 38 and verses 4 through 7. 14:57 And what we're studying is extremely important. 14:59 We're going to study later on about the state of the dead. 15:02 And you better understand that angels will not come 15:05 as the spirits of the departed to talk with you 15:08 and to communicate with you. 15:10 This is a misconception that exists even within the 15:14 Christian world, unfortunately. 15:16 Job 38 and verses 4 through 7. 15:20 I want to show you that the angels existed before 15:23 this earth was created. 15:25 It says there, and God asked Job a series of questions... 15:51 This is speaking about creation, obviously. 15:54 And something happened at creation. 16:06 Let me ask you, did the stars of God, the sons of God, 16:10 exist when this world was created? 16:13 Absolutely. 16:14 Very clearly, it speaks about God laying the 16:16 foundations of the earth. 16:18 And we're told that when God did that, the morning stars 16:22 sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. 16:27 So the angels are a separate order of being that existed 16:31 before this world came into existence. 16:34 Now let's talk a little bit about the number of angels 16:38 and their organization. 16:40 Let's deal first of all with the fact that the angels 16:43 have a Commander in Chief. 16:47 Let's go to the book of Joshua chapter 5 16:50 and verses 13 through 15. 16:52 Joshua chapter 5 and verses 13 through 15. 16:57 Here, we find Joshua outside the city of Jericho. 16:59 The city of Jericho is about to fall before the Israelites. 17:03 And there's this individual that comes and meets Joshua 17:06 and he has a sword drawn in his hand. 17:09 And Joshua asked him, he says, "Are you of those who are 17:13 with us or are you against us?" 17:16 And I want you to notice how this conversation 17:21 develops in Joshua chapter 5 and beginning with verse 13. 17:53 Do the angels have a Commander? 17:56 Absolutely. 18:03 Now notice who this messenger is. 18:06 This is not any common ordinary angel. 18:09 This is the Commander of the angelic host. 18:12 It's none other than Jesus Christ, 18:14 according to most scholars. 18:16 It says there continuing in verse 14... 18:30 This was not a common angel. 18:33 Because angels refuse worship, according to Revelation 19 18:36 verse 10 and Revelation 22 verses 8 and 9. 18:40 But there's more. 19:04 The same thing that happened at the burning bush 19:06 took place here outside of Jericho. 19:09 This Messenger, this commander, was none other than 19:13 Jesus Christ, Himself. 19:15 Now do you know that the angels are organized 19:19 in military fashion? 19:20 They function in exact order and they function in companies. 19:25 You say, "How do we know this?" 19:27 Because in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 53, Jesus said some 19:32 words that we're probably all acquainted with. 19:34 Matthew chapter 26 and verse 53. 19:38 When they came to arrest Jesus, Jesus said some very 19:41 interesting words. 19:43 He said... 19:57 Are the angels organized in legions? 20:00 Absolutely. 20:02 And what were legions? 20:03 Legions were divisions or companies of the Roman army. 20:09 In other words, God also has the angels organized 20:12 in military fashion. 20:14 Now I'd like to throw out an idea. 20:17 If you want to read an interesting chapter about 20:19 how the angels function within God's sanctuary, 20:24 you need to read Ezekiel chapter 1. 20:26 It's not talking about a UFO in Ezekiel chapter 1. 20:30 It's talking there about God's throne and how God, 20:34 through His angels, administrates the universe 20:38 and keeps the universe functioning in order. 20:41 And everything functions there in Ezekiel chapter 1 20:44 with absolute military precision. 20:49 Now what about the number of the angels? 20:52 Well, the good news is that there are two good angels 20:54 versus on bad one. 20:56 So the bad ones are outnumbered. 20:59 But how many angels are there? 21:01 Notice Psalm 68 and verse 17 where we find an indication 21:07 of the number of angels. 21:09 It says there, speaking about the chariots of God, 21:12 which are His angels... 21:26 In Revelation chapter 5 and verse 11, 21:29 we find another indication as to the number of the angels. 21:33 Revelation chapter 5 and verse 11. 21:51 You know, in the Greek language there's no name for million. 21:54 There's no number for million. 21:56 And so the way in which you express millions 21:58 is by multiplying thousands. 22:01 And so it says here, "ten thousand times ten thousand, 22:05 and thousands of thousands." 22:07 That means millions. 22:09 Notice also Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 22. 22:13 Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 22. 22:16 Here, we're once again told about the number 22:20 of the angelic messengers. 22:22 It says there... 22:40 How many angels are we talking about? 22:42 We're talking about millions and millions of angels. 22:46 I can't tell you how many, but they are innumerable, 22:50 according to Scripture. 22:52 Now let's talk a little bit about the mission of the angels. 22:56 What is the importance of the angels? 22:57 What do the angels do? 23:00 Do they just sit around playing their harps 23:03 and praising the Lord? 23:04 Absolutely not. 23:06 Each one of them has their function with regards 23:09 to planet earth. 23:11 Notice Matthew chapter 4 and verse 11. 23:14 This is speaking about Jesus after He had gone through 23:17 the grueling experience of the three temptations. 23:20 By the way, He was famished because He had gone 23:24 40 days and 40 nights without eating. 23:27 We're told here that the angels did something with Him. 23:30 Matthew chapter 4 verse 11 says... 23:42 What is the role of the angels? 23:44 The role of the angels is to what? 23:46 To minister. 23:47 They're ministering here to Jesus Christ. 23:50 Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 14 tells us that they not only 23:54 ministered to Jesus, but they also minister to those who will 23:58 inherit salvation. 24:00 It says there in Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 14, 24:03 speaking about the angels... 24:16 In other words, the angels are ministers of Jesus Christ 24:20 to meet the needs of those who are being wooed 24:24 to salvation. 24:25 By the way, do you remember the dream that Jacob had 24:29 when he had to flee from home? 24:31 He saw a vision of this ladder that reached to the highest 24:37 heaven and its base was planted upon the earth. 24:41 And what were ascending and descending upon the ladder? 24:46 Angels of God were ascending and descending upon the ladder. 24:49 That means that the angels are the emissaries of Jesus Christ. 24:53 They take our prayers to God, our pleas to God. 24:57 And they bring answers of God to us. 25:00 If fact, let's read about that ladder in 25:02 John chapter 1 and verse 51. 25:05 Jesus applies the ladder to Himself. 25:07 John chapter 1 and verse 51. 25:27 In other words, the angels are the emissaries of Jesus Christ 25:31 to bear our praises and our thanks and our requests to Jesus 25:36 and to bring the answers of God back to us. 25:40 Incidentally, the Bible several times uses the 25:43 possessive pronoun to refer to the angels. 25:46 It says, "When Jesus comes with all His holy angels." 25:51 So the angels are His. 25:54 He's the Maximum Commander that tells them what to do 25:58 and how to minister to those who will inherit salvation. 26:02 Now do you know that sin... 26:04 And we're going to study this in a few moments. 26:05 ...sin originated in heaven? 26:09 And it originated before this world existed. 26:12 And it involves the angels. 26:15 This is a very important detail that we need to keep in mind 26:18 because we're going to study about this a little bit 26:20 later on in our series. 26:22 The angels are involved in the great controversy 26:26 between good and evil. 26:27 Because the Bible tells us that one-third of the angels 26:30 decided to accept the arguments of Lucifer 26:34 and went over to the evil side. 26:36 Which means that even before sin came into this world, 26:39 the angels were involved in the controversy 26:42 between good and evil. 26:44 In fact, in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 9 26:48 we find a very interesting little word. 26:50 The angels are not passive bystanders in the 26:56 great controversy. 26:57 They are actively engaged. 26:59 They are observing what is happening in the universe. 27:03 They're observing how God is solving the problem of sin 27:07 in harmony with His character. 27:10 The angels actually are called upon to impart 27:13 God's message to the prophets. 27:15 They're called upon to seek to persuade sinners to repent. 27:19 They're called upon to protect the people on earth from 27:23 the power of the evil one. 27:25 They're sent to bring God's word to the minds of people 27:30 so that they can use the word of God as a weapon 27:33 in times of need. 27:34 They actually speak to the voice of conscience 27:37 so that we choose to do good and we reject evil. 27:40 They're actively engaged in this great controversy 27:43 between good and evil. 27:45 Notice what the apostle Paul had to say in 1 Corinthians 27:47 chapter 4 and verse 9. 28:06 What are we? 28:07 We are a spectacle to the world. 28:14 That word, "spectacle," is the Greek word, "theatron," 28:19 where we get our word "theater" from. 28:21 In other words, there's this dramatic thing that is 28:24 happening in the universe. 28:26 And the angels and men are watching what is happening 28:31 to decide whether God acts in harmony with His character, 28:35 how God is going to solve this sin problem. 28:39 Do you know that the Bible tells us that when sinners repent, 28:42 the angels rejoice? 28:44 There's a close connection between heaven and earth. 28:46 Notice Luke chapter 15 and verse 10. 28:49 Luke chapter 15 and verse 10. 28:51 I hope that you're looking up the verses ahead of time 28:53 because, you know, we really have to advance. 28:55 There's so much material to cover. 28:57 Luke 15 and verse 10. 28:59 Here Jesus says... 29:11 I can imagine the angels saying, "Ha, we rescued another one 29:15 from the hands of the devil." 29:17 They become very happy when God wins over subjects 29:22 on earth to Himself. 29:24 By the way, do you know that God also confesses our name 29:26 before His angels? 29:28 Notice what we find in Luke chapter 12 and verses 8 and 9. 29:32 Luke chapter 12 verses 8 and 9. 29:34 I want you to see that there's a close connection between 29:36 heaven and earth, between the angels and human beings. 29:40 The angels are engaged in the great controversy. 29:43 They're watching what's happening. 29:45 Luke 12 verses 8 and 9. 30:06 And so, folks, the angels are actively engaged in watching 30:11 what is happening here. 30:12 They rejoice when sinners repent. 30:15 And Jesus confesses our name when we come to Jesus 30:20 and we're not ashamed of Him. 30:23 Now let's talk a little bit about loyal and disloyal angels. 30:28 You see, this whole mess that we are experiencing on planet earth 30:32 actually began in heaven. 30:35 And not only in heaven, but it began in the Most Holy Place 30:40 of the sanctuary. 30:41 You're saying, "What? 30:43 The problem of sin began in the Most Holy Place 30:46 of the sanctuary?" 30:48 And by the way, it involved God's holy Law. 30:52 Now let's talk about the origin of evil in heaven. 30:55 Later on in this series, we're going to talk about 30:57 the origin of evil on earth. 30:59 You see, sin began with a being who is known as Lucifer. 31:06 In fact, let's read about his origin in the book of Ezekiel 31:10 chapter 28 and we'll read verse 13, and then we'll 31:14 go to verse 15. 31:15 Ezekiel 28 verse 13. 31:18 Speaking about this majestic being who, by the way, was 31:22 a cherub, it says here... 31:28 Did you know the Garden of Eden was in heaven before 31:31 it was placed on earth? 31:32 It was a piece of heaven transplanted to the earth. 31:35 It says here... 31:58 And let's notice verse 15. 32:10 Let me ask you, is evil eternal? 32:12 Is Satan eternal, is Lucifer eternal? 32:15 No, because he was what? 32:17 He was created. 32:19 Which means that evil will come to an end. 32:22 Evil and good will not exist forever as competing systems. 32:27 Evil will be eradicated from the universe. 32:29 It had a beginning and it will have an end. 32:33 So the first thing we notice is that this being was created. 32:37 Now what did he look like when he was created? 32:39 Ezekiel 28 and verse 12. 32:42 It's using the king of Tyre as an example. 33:04 And verse 15 says... 33:16 So my question is this. 33:18 Does the Bible tells us that this being 33:20 was originally perfect and beautiful? 33:23 Absolutely. Blameless in his ways. 33:25 He was created not with a taint of sin. 33:28 No inclination towards sin. 33:31 Now the questions is, what was his job? 33:35 Well the Bible tells us what his job was. 33:38 Notice Ezekiel chapter 28 and verse 13, 33:41 and we're going to read only the last part of this verse 33:44 because we already read the first part. 33:46 It says in Ezekiel 28 and verse 13, 33:50 "The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes 33:55 was prepared for you on the day you were created." 33:59 Now, timbrels are like a tambourine; 34:03 to mark the beat of the music. 34:05 And the word "pipes" means, flutes. 34:09 In other words, Lucifer was created to be a what? 34:12 To be a musician. 34:13 Do you think he knows a little bit about music? 34:16 Do you think he can use music, even Christian music 34:19 in the world today, to lead people astray? 34:22 Absolutely. 34:23 He's the master musician. 34:25 He knows how music affects us physically, mentally, 34:29 psychologically and spiritually. 34:31 And he not only uses secular music, but many times he 34:34 uses so called sacred music to distract people from God. 34:39 Now the question is, what was his position? 34:42 The fact is, the Bible tells us that he was one of the 34:44 two covering cherubs next to the throne of God. 34:47 In other words, he was in the very presence of God 34:51 in the temple of God on Mount Zion in the New Jerusalem. 34:55 Notice what we find in Ezekiel chapter 28 and verse 14 34:59 where it speaks about his position. 35:01 It says here, "You were the anointed cherub who..." What? 35:06 Remember that word that we read in Exodus? 35:16 This is the heavenly Mount Zion. 35:21 The fiery stones represent the angels. 35:23 He walked back and forth in the midst of the angels, 35:26 according to Scripture. 35:28 He was one of the two covering cherubs that were over 35:32 the throne of God. 35:34 Let's read Exodus 25 and verse 20 once again 35:37 so that you see the key word, "covering." 35:39 It says there in Exodus 25 and verse 20... 35:58 Now you're saying, "Pastor, are you saying that in heaven 36:01 there is an ark of the covenant and there's two cherubim 36:05 that cover the ark of the covenant 36:07 just like in the sanctuary on earth?" 36:09 Absolutely. 36:10 In our first lecture, we studied that the earthly sanctuary was 36:14 a shadow or was a copy of what? 36:16 Of the heavenly sanctuary. 36:18 So there is an ark of the covenant in heaven. 36:21 And God in person is the Shekinah there. 36:25 And there are two covering cherubs over the ark. 36:28 You say, "Where does the Bible say that there is 36:30 such a place in heaven?" 36:32 Notice what we find in the book of Revelation chapter 11 36:36 and verse 19. 36:37 Revelation chapter 11 verse 19. 36:41 Very clearly, there is a temple in heaven with an 36:44 ark of the covenant. 36:46 It says there... 36:54 And what is seen when the temple is opened in heaven? 37:09 So my question is, is there an ark of the covenant 37:12 in the heavenly sanctuary? 37:14 Absolutely. 37:15 Are there covering cherubs that cover the ark of the covenant, 37:19 overshadow the ark of the covenant? 37:21 Absolutely. 37:23 And what do you suppose is found inside the ark of the covenant? 37:29 What was inside the ark of the covenant on earth? 37:33 The tables of the law, the Ten Commandments. 37:35 The earthly is a reflection of the heavenly. 37:37 So what must be in the heavenly sanctuary 37:40 underneath the place where God manifests His presence 37:44 as the foundation of His throne? 37:45 The Ten Commandments must be in the heavenly temple. 37:50 Now let's talk a little bit about Lucifer's sin. 37:55 Do you know what Lucifer wanted to do? 37:57 He wanted to overthrow the government of God. 38:00 In fact, he wanted to take over the throne of the universe. 38:05 He suffered a severe case of spiritual myopia. 38:10 He was near-sighted. 38:12 All he could see was himself. 38:14 In fact, let's read about that in Isaiah chapter 14 38:17 and verses 12 through 14. 38:19 Isaiah chapter 14 verses 12 through 14. 38:22 It says there... 38:32 Now notice the key word here. 38:42 "Above the stars of God" means, above the angels. 38:56 What is the key word in this passage? 38:57 "I..." 39:00 He didn't want God to be the ruler anymore. 39:03 He wanted to take over the government of the universe 39:07 by sitting upon God's throne. 39:09 I want you to remember that expression, 39:11 "I will be like the Most High," because in a couple of lectures 39:15 we're going to talk about how the devil tempted Eve 39:18 and how he was successful in gaining the victory over Eve. 39:22 He used the same method because it worked in heaven. 39:25 He said to Eve, "You shall be like the Most High." 39:29 The temptation on earth was simply a replica 39:32 of what happened in heaven. 39:34 And when we study this lecture, you're going to see that. 39:38 Now the Bible tells us that Lucifer sinned. 39:40 Notice Ezekiel 28 and verse 16, the word is used. 39:44 It says in Ezekiel 28 and verse 16, speaking about Lucifer... 39:57 Question, did Lucifer sin? 39:59 He most certainly did. 40:01 Now, since when has the devil sinned? 40:05 Many Christians think that the law was given for the 40:07 first time on Mount Sinai. 40:09 In other words, when the Ten Commandments were 40:11 given on Mount Sinai, that's the first time that the 40:13 law comes in. 40:14 Can't be. 40:16 I want you to notice 1 John chapter 3 and verse 8. 40:19 1 John chapter 3 and verse 8. 40:22 It's speaking here about where sin originated, 40:26 when sin originated. 40:27 It says there in 1 John 3 and verse 8... 40:31 "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned 40:36 since Mount Sinai." 40:39 Is that what the Bible says? 40:41 No, it says the devil has sinned from when? 40:45 From the beginning. 40:51 What are the works of the devil? 40:53 Sin, right? 40:54 So did Jesus come to destroy the law 40:56 or did He come to destroy sin? 40:59 He came to destroy sin. 41:00 Now the question is, what is sin? 41:03 We're told that Lucifer sinned. 41:06 And he sinned at the very beginning. 41:08 Now what is sin? 41:10 1 John chapter 3 and verse 4 has the biblical definition of sin. 41:15 1 John chapter 3 and verse 4. 41:18 It says... 41:28 Or as the King James says, "Sin is the transgression 41:32 of the law." 41:33 Now the question is, how could Lucifer sin 41:35 is there was no law to transgress? 41:38 Must there have been a law in order for Lucifer to sin? 41:41 Absolutely. 41:43 And the law was inside the ark of the covenant. 41:46 Now some people might say, "How could a perfect being 41:49 that was created blameless and had no tendencies toward evil 41:53 suddenly come up with the idea of rebelling against God?" 41:56 All I can say is that for some strange reason, 41:59 unexplainable reason, he decided to use his freedom 42:03 of choice against God. 42:05 This shows that even in heaven, God respected freedom of choice. 42:08 Because he allowed this angel to say no to Him. 42:11 Now why would he say no when he was perfect and blameless 42:14 and beautiful and had no inclination or tendency to sin, 42:17 that's a mystery. 42:18 And if we could give an explanation of that, 42:20 then we would be able to give a reason for sin, 42:23 and ultimately God would be to blame for sin. 42:26 But of course, God isn't. 42:30 So Lucifer sinned. 42:32 He went against the law that was found inside 42:36 the ark of the covenant. 42:38 But of course, just one being against the government 42:42 of God wouldn't cut it. 42:44 And so what he had to do was spread his rebellion. 42:48 He had to recruit followers. 42:51 He had to recruit people that would accept his arguments 42:53 and decide to follow him instead of following God. 42:56 But of course, for this he had to give God a black eye. 43:00 He had to make God look bad. 43:02 Because, you know, if he made God look good, 43:06 nobody would want to follow him. 43:07 So he had to malign the character of God. 43:10 He had to say, "The law of God is restrictive. 43:13 It takes away your freedom. 43:15 All He wants is slaves. 43:17 All He wants is blind service." 43:19 We're going to find he said the same thing to Eve 43:21 in the Garden of Eden. 43:22 "And I am the great emancipator. 43:25 I have come to deliver you from law. 43:28 I have come to give you freedom so that you can follow 43:31 the inclinations of your own heart. 43:33 Because your own heart will always show you 43:36 what is right and what is wrong without God having to 43:39 tell you what is right and what is wrong." 43:42 And so the Bible tells us, if you go with me to 43:44 Ezekiel 28 and verse 16, the first part of the verse. 43:48 There's an interesting little word that is used. 43:51 Ezekiel chapter 28 and verse 16 says, 43:54 speaking about Lucifer... 44:05 That word, "trading," is very, very interesting. 44:09 It's a commercial word. 44:11 You can look it up in a concordance if you wish. 44:13 It has to do with buying and selling. 44:16 And so somehow, Lucifer was trying to sell something 44:20 to the heavenly beings. 44:21 The question is, what was he trying to sell them? 44:25 The fact is, he was trying to sell them lies. 44:30 Do you know that even today we use a figurative expression 44:34 when somebody tells us that we find hard to believe? 44:36 We say, "I don't buy that." 44:41 You see, we have a remnant of this idea of buying and selling. 44:44 He trading was that he wanted to sell his lies 44:48 to the heavenly hosts. 44:49 In fact, we're told in John chapter 8 and verse 44, 44:53 John chapter 8 verse 44, that he is the father of all lies. 44:58 Jesus says there, speaking to the Jews of His day... 45:22 That's why we call him, "the father of lies." 45:27 Now let's go to Revelation chapter 12 and verse 4, 45:30 the first part of the verse, and notice how he drew 45:34 a third part of the angels with him. 45:36 He used something to draw them. 45:38 Notice Revelation chapter 12 and verse 4, 45:41 the first part of the verse. 45:43 Speaking about this dragon, which symbolizes Satan, 45:46 it says, "his..." What? 45:48 "...his tail..." 45:52 That is, a third of the angels. 45:56 Now what is this that he used his tail to draw 45:59 a third of the angels to his side? 46:01 Well, Isaiah 9 verse 15 tells us what the tail represents. 46:05 Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 15 explains the symbolic meaning 46:11 of the tail. 46:12 It says there... 46:25 So what did the devil draw a third of the 46:27 angels with him with? 46:29 With his tail. 46:30 Which means that he lied to the heavenly angels. 46:35 Incidentally, that word, "trading," that is used 46:38 in Ezekiel chapter 28, the root of that word is also used in 46:43 two other text in the Old Testament 46:45 that I want to read now. 46:46 Notice what we find in Ezekiel 22 and verse 9. 46:50 The same root word that is translated "trading" 46:53 in chapter 28. 46:55 It says here in chapter 22 and verse 9... 47:01 Speaking about Tyre. 47:08 "Slander" is the same root word. 47:17 So notice here that the same root word is translated what? 47:21 Slander. 47:22 So what did Lucifer do? 47:24 He slandered God and His character. 47:27 This word is also used in Leviticus 19 and verse 16. 47:31 Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 16. 47:35 Notice what is says there. 47:36 God is speaking to Israel. He says... 47:44 Talebearer is the same root word that is translated "trading." 47:57 Now what did his lies look like? 47:59 One of my favorite books is called, Patriarchs and Prophets. 48:03 It's a story of the Old Testament up to the 48:07 time of the Hebrew kings from the time that 48:09 sin originated in heaven. 48:11 So I want to read you a statement that's found in 48:13 Great Controversy, page... 48:14 Oh, excuse me. This is from Great Controversy. 48:16 It's also in Patriarchs and Prophets. 48:18 But the reference is in Great Controversy, page 499. 48:21 Same writer, Ellen White. 48:23 She says this, speaking about Lucifer... 48:42 In other words, don't let God tell you what to do. 48:44 Your heart will tell you what to do. 48:48 Now notice... 49:15 So if there's anyone out there teaching that the law was 49:17 nailed to the cross or that it was abolished, 49:19 it's a repetition of the lies of the father of lies. 49:23 Because God is not going to abolish the constitution of 49:26 His government to save sinners. 49:28 What He does is provide someone who takes the penalty 49:31 upon Himself to save sinners. 49:34 But He doesn't do away with His law. 49:37 The Bible tells us that as a result of the arguments 49:41 of Satan, war broke out in heaven. 49:43 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 4, 49:46 the first part of the verse. 49:47 And then we'll go to verses 7 through 9. 49:49 It says there in chapter 12 and verse 4... 50:01 By the way, Michael is Jesus Christ. 50:03 You say, "Oh, you're saying that Michael is Jesus?" 50:06 Yes, but you need to understand that the Seventh-day Adventist 50:09 Church believes that even though Jesus is spoken of as Michael, 50:12 He wasn't created by God. 50:14 He is eternal God. 50:16 He's called Michael in Scripture, which means, 50:18 "who is like God." 50:21 It's a name of a challenge, "who is like God." 50:24 But we don't believe like some churches in the world that think 50:27 that Michael was the first creature of God and 50:30 Jesus was the first creation of God. 50:32 We believe that Jesus Christ is eternal God 50:35 even though He's called Michael here. 50:37 And so it says, "Michael and His angels..." 50:40 That is, Jesus and His angels. 50:45 So there was this war in heaven. 50:48 And it says in verse 8, "but they did not prevail..." 50:51 That is the devil and his angels. 51:09 Now a question that comes up is this. 51:10 Why didn't God destroy Satan immediately? 51:16 Think about it. 51:18 The devil had said that God was a tyrant, 51:21 that His law was restrictive, that God didn't respect freedom. 51:25 And so now all of these angels say, "We're going to go 51:28 against God," and God snuffs them out. 51:32 What would happen? 51:34 The angels would say, "Well, maybe Lucifer was right. 51:38 Look, because He didn't respect his freedom of choice. 51:40 He snuffed him out." 51:43 So God said, "I have to allow the principles of Lucifer's 51:47 government to develop so that all of the universe can see 51:50 what his plan of government is like." 51:53 Let me ask you, has his plan of government been successful? 51:56 Just look at the world today. 51:59 Tell me, is a world without law a successful government? 52:03 Absolutely not. 52:05 It is a mess. 52:06 But the heavenly beings would have never known it 52:08 unless God allowed evil to what? 52:11 To develop and to mature. 52:13 And by the way, God is going to make the devil sit down for 52:15 a thousand years here without having anyone to tempt. 52:19 Because everybody is going to be dead, all of his followers 52:21 are going to be dead 52:22 God's people are going to be in heaven. 52:24 And God is going to force the devil to sit there 52:26 and He's going to say, "Look at what you have done." 52:31 You see, if God had snuffed Lucifer out, 52:34 the heavenly beings would have probably served God, 52:36 but they would have served Him out of fear, not out of love. 52:40 And they would have wondered, "Who is the next who is 52:43 going to disappear from the scene who uses his or her 52:47 freedom of choice to go against God. 52:50 Now let's talk about Lucifer's end. 52:53 Because he will have an end. 52:55 The purpose of the sanctuary, we're going to find 52:58 in this series, is that God, through the sanctuary service, 53:01 is exonerating His character. 53:04 In other words, the purpose of allowing this whole thing 53:08 to transpire before the angels, before the heavenly beings, 53:11 before this earth, is to show how God solves the sin problem 53:16 in harmony with His character. 53:17 So that when sin is destroyed, everyone will say, 53:20 "God is right. God is love. 53:23 God is just. God is good." 53:28 Lucifer will come to an end. 53:30 We're told in Malachi chapter 4 and verse 3 53:36 that root and branch of evil will be destroyed. 53:40 It says there, "For behold, the day is coming, 53:42 burning like an oven," this is verse 1, 53:45 "and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. 53:49 And the day which is coming shall burn them up, 53:52 says the Lord of hosts, 53:53 that will leave them neither..." What? 53:56 "...will leave them neither root nor branch." 53:58 Let me ask you, who is the root? 54:00 The root of all evil is the devil. 54:02 And who are the branches? His followers. 54:04 You remember, Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches." 54:07 Well the devil also is the root and he has his branches. 54:11 And so, the Bible says that root and branches will be eradicated 54:16 once and for all. 54:18 In fact, Ezekiel 28, that passage that we studied 54:20 several texts from this morning. 54:22 Ezekiel 28 verses 18 and 19 tell us what the final end 54:26 of this being will be, and all those who choose to follow him. 54:31 It says there in Ezekiel 28 and verse 18, 54:34 speaking about this being... 54:43 "Trading" means, by the iniquity of your lying. 54:46 Therefore, what is God going to do? 55:18 Is that good news? 55:20 The question is, who are we going to ally our lives with? 55:23 You see, to be with the devil is to be with a loser. 55:26 It's already been predicted that he's the loser. 55:29 If you're with him, you're going to lose. 55:31 If you're with Jesus, you're going to win. 55:33 Because Jesus already won on the cross, 55:35 according to what we're going to study in this seminar. 55:38 Now the question is, after sin is eradicated, 55:43 will it ever rise again? 55:46 Listen, what person in his right mind would ever what to 55:53 experiment with sin again after seeing what sin has caused? 56:00 You see, one of the reasons why God allows sin to proliferate 56:03 and to develop is so that God's people can see 56:07 what it means to live independently of God, 56:10 what it means to trample upon His law. 56:13 At the very end people will say, "It's a mess 56:15 when you go down that road." 56:17 And people will exalt God's law, because the law will be written 56:22 upon their hearts. 56:23 People will see that the law of God is holy, just, and good, 56:27 as the apostle Paul tells us in Romans chapter 7 and verse 12. 56:32 We will see that sin is the evil culprit, not God's law. 56:37 You see, God's law is holy. 56:38 It shows that sin is bad. So what do you do? 56:41 You get rid of the law that is good 56:42 in order to solve the problem of sin, which is bad? 56:45 Of course not. 56:46 It does no good to do away with the law. 56:50 In fact, we're told in Nahum, our last verse, 56:53 Nahum 1 and verse 9, that affliction will not rise 56:57 a second time. 56:59 And then the Bible tells us in Revelation chapter 21 57:01 and verse 4 that God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. 57:07 And there will be no more sorrow, no more pain, 57:11 no more suffering, and no more death. 57:14 Because God will live with us and we will live with Him. 57:19 And forever more, the universe will be secure 57:22 because it has been inoculated against sin. 57:27 Do you want to be there? |
Revised 2014-12-17